The 95th Annual Hunger Games
by Zulera301
Summary: Strong. Intelligent. Beautiful. Those are the words commonly used by most people of District 1, including her partner Malcolm Fletcher, to describe Lux Calameda, one of the many girls who has trained her whole life for the games. The caveat? This otherwise supermodel entity keeps people at a distance and her lips pursed shut, making people wonder: Who is Lux Calameda?
1. Chapter 1: Injustice is Served

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _Welcome one, welcome all to the 95th Annual Hunger Games! This is the 5th volume of my "Fire Without a Spark" series, so be sure to check out the others in the series if this one tickles your fancy. Despite '94 not being completed, this is in no ways a replacement for it. This is just something I've been working on and planning to release for a while, and so it's about time I made good on that promise. Like the other stories in the series, this opening chapter is kind of a prologue which offers slight spoilers for who won the previous one, although it's kind of obvious at this point, and both the victor of that one and this one are seen in 'The 100th Annual Hunger Games' anyways._  
 _That said, Happy Reading!_

 **PART I: THE TRIBUTE WITHOUT A VOICE**

 **CHAPTER 1: Injustice is Served**

With 10 victors under their belts, the Victor Village of District 5 was a rather formidable and well-kept place. Sure it might not have compared to the two career districts: 1 & 2, which had 14 and 17 victors respectively, but District 5 had the next highest victor count apart from the two obvious contenders for the lead position.  
There was nearly 20 years between Cadence Montoya and the last couple of victors, however, and so there was something of a gap and distance between them. Cadence didn't terribly mind, but sometimes he liked to talk to people who had seen similar horrors to him—people who had had friends and loved ones die in the games; people who fought and killed—who survived—these horrific games. Essentially, at times he wanted to converse with people who knew his plight; for these were a rare variety—less than 94 of these men and women existed across all of Panem.

Today was one of those days where Cadence wanted to talk; particularly because it was Reaping Day. This would be Cadence's first year as a mentor, where he'd have to teach some unlucky boy and girl how to try and survive the brutality of the Hunger Games.

Despite District 5 producing so many victors and being relatively loyal to the capitol (at least among the non-victors, anyways), it was not often for them to volunteer. This was an amusing and somewhat ironic contrast to the wiles of District 3, which was much less loyal and thus more rebellious, but produced more volunteers for the games (and with only 8 victors thus far, instead of 10). Cadence wasn't sure he'd understand that.

One thing the two districts did have in common was the electronic lottery. Districts 6-12, as well as District 4, used glass bowls with slips of paper. In technologically-savvy districts such as District 3 and District 5, it was an electronic lottery interface, and Cadence wanted to smash that gigantic screen more with each passing year.

He also found the "reapings" of Districts 1 and 2—the 'career' districts, as barbaric. They didn't even need lotteries; they had so many kids volunteering that they basically raced and fought for the so-called honor of representing their district in the games. No wonder they produced so many volunteers.

He decided to talk to his old mentor Bethany about it. Johnny was a bit more reserved, much like he was; and while some matching personality types interacted well with one another, Cadence's personality was not exactly a very people-friendly one. Bethany was an exception only because she was a fellow victor and his old mentor during his games the previous year.

Bethany was in her Victor's Mansion almost as if she was waiting for Cadence.

"It's not unheard of for victors to come talk to their mentors the day before they officially become mentors themselves," Bethany reassured him. "It's hard; especially since only Districts 1 and 2 have ever had back-to-back victors."  
"So basically what you're telling me is that odds are these kids whose faces show up on those giant screens are going to die." Cadence grumbled.

"Would you rather I lied and given you false hope?" Bethany retorted, taking a bottle of alcohol from a cupboard and seating herself at the table across from Cadence, "I'm not saying it's guaranteed to happen; just that the odds are against us. The odds are never in our favour."

"I knew that the moment Lucia's name appeared on that damned screen," Cadence growled, "and I guess I shouldn't be taking it out on you. I'm not too thrilled about today though."  
"There's no reason to be," Bethany agreed, pouring some of the bottle into a glass and offering it to Cadence. He accepted it immediately. "remember though, that you're basically a lifeline to these kids. Don't slim their odds even further by not putting your heart and soul into doing everything that you can to keep them alive."

That was a thought Cadence had not considered. He frowned at Bethany, who continued. "I did the same for you and Lucia, after all."

"I get it," Cadence grunted as he emptied the glass Bethany poured him, "doesn't make it any easier though. How about another drink?"

Normally a lot of the victors would gather around and play cards over drinks during the morning of the reapings, though while the victors of District 5 were known for this trend as well as the other districts, this year they did no such thing. Johnny hadn't shown up, and neither had any of Bethany's predecessors—so there was no point.

"Don't get too drunk," Bethany warned almost playfully as she poured him another glass.

"This is just a buzz," Cadence muttered, "It won't last."

"Is there anything else you want to ask me that I haven't already told you?" Bethany offered, "or have I rambled enough?"

"Well, if I were anyone else I might have complained about the lack of fanfare…" Cadence admitted, chuckling dryly, "but since it's just you and I that means more booze for us. I'm still going to call out those lucky bastards when I get back for being able to sleep in and drink."

"I'll make sure to leave a good note for you," Bethany quipped, "want another shot?"

"Nah, I'm buzzed enough," Cadence shook his head, "Besides… I should probably be getting ready to go around now. Reaping's gonna start soon."

He almost literally dragged his feet from Bethany's mansion to the stage where the reaping would take place. Nephenee Glitz was as airy and oblivious as ever, but once again Cadence resisted the urge to punch her and simply sat down waiting for the usual load of nonsense to go over, so he could see what poor suckers he was going to have to try and reassure wouldn't die.

Tracer Lestrange was the girl's name, and Cadence watched as the petite, bespectacled girl with black curls that bounced on each step, reached the stage. She was shortly followed by Makoto Fawkes, a stout fellow with messy brown hair who stumped up to Tracer's side.

Cadence watched recaps of the recent reapings while Makoto and Tracer said their goodbyes, running through the short segments when a tribute's name was called out, or watching the career tributes from '1 and '2 reach the stage. District 2's tributes seemed like the average standard fare, but the girl from District 1 stood out to him in particular. He recognized that beautiful face as the girl he had met on his victory tour that hadn't said a single word to him. He wondered if she was as antisocial as he was, or if there was another reason for her silence and lack of words. He kind of just figured that her stern expression towards him 6 months ago on his tour was merely a byproduct of him slaying Serendipity Li, the District 1 girl from Cadence's games. Seeing her with a similarly stern expression on stage made him rethink it. Normally he might have thought she was bitter about being chosen for the games, but she clearly volunteered on her own, and could have easily thrown it if she didn't want to be there. Yet, as he rewatched her footage, there she was, brawling with the other girls as she raced for the stage.

This was definitely going to be an interesting year.

Makoto and Tracer seemed just as thrilled to see Cadence as he was to see them. They were both young; younger than he was when he was picked for his games: Makoto by a few months, and Tracer by over a year. This was just a further reminder of the injustices wrought upon them by the Capitol.

"I'll lay it on you easy for now," he warned, "but the odds aren't in your favour."

"We gathered that much," Makoto frowned, "what can you tell us about surviving?"

"Besides the obvious of staying alive and watching what Districts 11 and 12 do," Tracer added.

Sure enough, as Cadence showed them recaps of the reapings, their sight, including Cadence's, were on District 11, whose tributes didn't look quite as formidable as last year's, but still looked strong enough to likely survive the bloodbath. District 12 was similar: formidable hunters and saboteurs that would not likely let the games go normally without throwing a bit of chaos in of their own.

His biggest warning though, was the careers. District 2's Zack and Esmeralda were one thing, but when Cadence saw the visage of that beautiful golden-haired girl from District 1, he saw her for what she was—this was a skilled, trained, cold-blooded killer—and he knew that no matter how she felt about him, or if she even remembered him at all—that she would not hesitate to slaughter his tributes at the drop of a hat come the bloodbath. Tracer and Makoto deserved better than that. What really confused Cadence though is that she lacked the usual enthusiasm that the careers had. Was she out for blood? Was her volunteering an act of vengeance similar to his the year before? She didn't even seem too interested in allying with her partner, let alone the other careers. She would be an interesting one, for sure. For his tributes' sake as well as his own curiosity, Cadence's eyes were on this girl.


	2. Chapter 2: Elegance in Serenity

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _And now we actually get to see Lux herself, and how she winds up in the games. One of the interesting aspects about this story compared to most of my others is that this one was designed as a challenge to myself to see how well I could portray a character's thoughts and feelings without dialogue. There's a reason Lux isn't speaking though, but more on that later._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 2: Elegance in Serenity  
**

While it could not hold a candle to the mystery of District 5, there were a few simplistic mysteries that surfaced around and regarding District 1 that none of the locals really batted more than an eye or two about every six months or so. One of these so-called 'mysteries' was why they still called the annual Hunger Games name-choosing ceremony the 'reaping', when it was hardly a matter of being chosen by lottery like it was in most of the other districts. No, as a career district, the tributes in '1 were selected by whoever proved to be the strongest and fastest in a simple race/brawl mixture of activities that could essentially be described as a "rush to the stage".

Even though it was often a rough-and-tumble style race and brawl to reach the stage, the citizens of District 1 still liked to look good while they did it. Lux Calameda was among these, with her father Aureus and her mother Aethra serving as her personal stylists.

"We'll bring you a spare outfit at the justice building when you win," Aethra smiled as she brushed her daughter's long, golden curls. "We wouldn't want your best clothes getting scuffed and ruined during the race, would we?"  
Lux shook her head, her mouth remaining shut. She glanced down at a slip of paper that had her name on it, slipping it into her pocket as she waited for her mother to finish.

"If you two don't hurry, Lux is going to be late!" Aureus called out from downstairs with a playful chuckle in his tone.  
"I just want to make sure my little darling looks perfect for her special day," Aethra seemed fully confident that Lux would win the race. Lux rose to her feet, her tall, lithe body concealed by snugly-fitting clothes that were much more suitable for brawling in than the usual skirts or dresses Lux liked to wear—a lamentable case, but one that she would not worry about until after the ceremony.

Lux's mother and father were not the only ones that often called the young woman 'a paragon of beauty'. Girls of District 1 had something of a natural charm to them, though the fair-skinned, toned physique of Lux Calameda was often considered top-quality model material, "with curves in all the right places". While Lux never denied these claims, she always reacted sourly to people remarking on them. In fact, as she went downstairs to bid her father farewell, her calm expression turned uneasy.

"Don't tell me our champion's getting nervous…" Aureus joked. Lux shook her head, but then began making several different impressions of people, followed by a swift shake of her head and an uncomfortable gesture.

"Don't think about the crowds, sweetheart," Aethra whispered, "they'll only focus on you if and when you beat them. Otherwise, show no mercy to anything or anyone that gets in your way."

Lux responded with a stoic nod before waving goodbye to her parents and heading towards the city square to prepare for the reaping day events. The buzz and excitement of the crowds made Lux much more uncomfortable than the people who stared or whistled. It was commonplace between boys and girls, and Lux was by no means the only one getting attention. Girls catcalled out to the boys almost as much as the boys did to the girls, no less. To Lux, it was being surrounded by so many strangers that made her much more uncomfortable than any of the reactions to her appearance.

There was no denying that this was an exciting time in District 1. As such, when the flamboyantly dressed Capitol Escort Atticus LeRoni showed up on the stage to make his usual announcements, hardly any of the bustling boys and girls vying for the honor of representing their district in the upcoming Hunger Games batted an eye as he began his speech.

"Welcome, welcome, welcome!" he beamed, spreading his arms excitedly. Unlike in most of the other districts, there was a clear aura of excitement hovering around the boys and girls of District 1 who clamoured for their chance to represent their district in the 95th Annual Hunger Games. Few people paid attention to the escort's sermon—one of the few things a career district's "reaping" had in common with those of the other districts. Instead, they sized up their competition. Girls and boys checked out one another, and a few more whistles escaped here and there. Lux kept her eyes on the prize, ignoring the many eyes that were on her body, particular her posterior.

When the gunshot to signal the start of the race/brawl rang through the sky, the girls took off first. Lux smashed through them with no hesitation, using the momentum from her fists to propel herself forward, and after a great deal of violent brawling, Lux clambered onto the stage triumphantly.

"Wonderful!" Atticus beamed. "It seems we have our female representative of District 1 for the 95th Annual Hunger Games…" he paused to ask Lux her name. Being unable to speak, Lux simply handed him the slip of paper, which bore her name.

"Ladies and Gentlemen… Lux Calameda! And now for the boys…"

The boys lined up the same way the girls had, each one itching for the position just as well. The amount of would-be volunteers was what necessitated this form of "reaping" in the first place, after all.

The gunshot rang out, and the boys raced to the stage. The sight of a lithe, pretty woman served as further motivation. Few knew Lux personally, but most young men worth their salt liked the idea of teaming up with an attractive lady from their district.

Despite Lux's towering height (6 feet, without heels), the boy who introduced himself to Atticus as Malcolm Fletcher stood a couple of inches taller than her, and a lot broader. He gave Lux a look-over, causing the golden-haired girl to give him a defensive glare.

"I know who you are, Lux," Malcolm rolled his eyes, "at worst I'm just going to ask if you want to form the usual career alliance. Otherwise I don't see the need to flap my yap more than is necessary to make sure you don't stab me in the back."

Lux raised her eyebrows with an amused expression before clenching her fist, raising it, and bringing it down as if she were plunging a knife into something, before shrugging.

"I guess that's why they call it the Hunger Games," Malcolm shrugged as they were guided into the Justice Building to say their final goodbyes. Malcolm was not 100% sure what Lux was saying, but he felt like he had the general gist of things, considering the nod he got from his partner as they disappeared into different rooms of the build so that Malcolm could say farewell to his family and friends; and for Lux to bid her parents goodbye. She didn't really have any other friends, and that was okay with her.

Lux had absolutely no shame about her physical appearance, and so when her mother showed up with a nicer change of clothes as she promised, Lux stripped down to her socks and smallclothes on the spot, changing into a more comfortable long-sleeved top and miniskirt, finishing her outfit with a pair of hi-top shoes. Her father showed up a moment later, and the two of them bade Lux a fond farewell.

Sometimes Lux felt like her parents were using her to try and bolster their own status (for they were obviously hoping for her to return as a victor); but for as hostile as she generally was, she knew that not everyone was out to get her, and so for this moment, she trusted her parents instead.

Lux realized only after she and Malcolm were shunted from the Justice Building to a car that would take them the short trip from here to the train station, that she hadn't met the two victors. She had seen a slender woman in her 40s that looked like she had been a model in her younger years. Next to her, she had seen a man that looked like the woman's brother, as well as a large, broad man guffawing behind them. She knew Cashmere and Gloss—they were not District 1's most recent victors, but they were the most level-headed ones.

" _Nailah must he at home getting drunk…"_ Lux thought to herself.

Whatever the case, Malcolm was quiet during the car ride, and Lux didn't say a thing. She wondered what the old man was there for; if Cashmere and Gloss were going to serve as their mentors, they wouldn't need him at all.

She was in for a slight surprise at the train though. Apparently Gloss had either elected to stay back or perhaps lost (or won?) a bet of some kind, for the two victors that greeted them at the train to serve as their mentors were Cashmere and the broad man, who introduced himself as Lucas.

"What happened to Gloss?" Lux was glad that Malcolm had the same question she did, since he could verbally ask.

"Oy; Gloss made bet with Lucas," Lucas guffawed, his boisterous voice exuding a friendly and welcoming tone to it, "Gloss wins so Lucas has to mentor tributes again."

Lux raised her eyebrow, gesturing with her hand.

"Now, now… pretty lady don't need to take for the offensive…" Lucas chuckled, "Lucas was only joking. Tributes look good this year; Cashmere and I have much excitement to bring one of you home as next victor!"

Lux gestured towards Cashmere with a longing expression, causing the woman to chuckle.

"Don't worry, Lucas." She smiled. "I'll take it from here…"


	3. Chapter 3: Knowing Friend and Foe

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _This chapter offers more banter between our tributes and victors. Obviously Lux is not included in the actual bantering, but she still remains rather expressive in several different ways. We also get sneak peeks of some of the other tributes that we'll run into when the actual games begin. Sure Malcolm and Lux are formidable fighters, but they're far from invincible, and there are a slew of dangerous tributes that will want them dead in the arena._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 3: Knowing Friend and Foe**

It wasn't that Lux disliked Lucas, but the man's broken speech patterns and tendency to guffaw at everything, even if it was done in playfulness rather than insult, bored away at Lux's sanity. The lithe introvert wanted nothing more than to be by herself for the time being, but knew that she'd have to inevitably go through another conversation with the others.

"Lux, isn't it?" Cashmere nodded towards the taller girl. Lux nodded.

"It must be frustrating…" she lowered her voice, "having so much to say and then having to deal with these morons who misinterpret you every step of the way."  
"Oy!" Lucas playfully punched Cashmere's shoulder, "Lucas is not bad guy and you know it!"

"I know; and neither is Malcolm," Cashmere nodded as she invited them to sit. The more Lux analyzed Lucas' features, the more she realized that he was probably not too much older than Cashmere after all. She put her elbows on the table, her hands together and her chin leaning on them with a few stray locks of heir tumbling down each side of her face.

"So I suppose I have to be the mediator here…" Cashmere gave a deliberately dramatic sigh. "joy of joys. Malcolm, I presume?" she glanced over at Lux's partner, "you seem like a level-headed kid with a good head on his shoulders."  
"I'd be a liar if I said Lux wasn't hot," he admitted, "but I'm not here to gawk at my partner. I'm here to win the games like everyone else."

"Well then," Cashmere nodded approvingly, before gesturing towards the larger man, "this is Lucas. 60th Hunger Games; so only a few years before Gloss and I. Don't mind his broken speech; he's a good guy who'd give you the shirt off his back if he needed to. He's done it for me at least once."  
Lux made a curious gesture as if asking Cashmere more about the incident. Cashmere actually snorted.

"Let's just say Miriam gave me too much to drink and I was running around the Victor Village completely bare from waist to ankle." Cashmere shook her head, a smile creeping over her blushing face, "Lucas literally gave me the shirt off his back and led me inside. It was winter, no less."

Malcolm's eyes widened with amusement, but he shook his head as well. "That sounds like the kind of story I'd want to hear," he indicated, "is that a victor thing?"  
"Absolutely," Cashmere chuckled, "and I'll tell you what—if you win these games, I'll give you the full version in all its sexy goodness."  
"Heh," Lucas chuckled, "Lucas don't remember story being sexy as much as remembering Cashmere shivering in snow half-naked with booze bottle in hands."

"Damn it, old man; you ruined my fun." Cashmere pushed him. Lucas guffawed again.

"And Cashmere ruin Lucas' fun earlier. So it does the evening out."

"Anyways," Cashmere decided to put the subject back on the rails, "Lucas, you and Malcolm obviously know that Lux can't speak. Give her a little room; she's more introverted than I am."

Lux nodded, heaving a sigh of relief.

"Oy; no worries," Lucas smiled, "Lucas only talk to pretty lady if he has important teachings to be doing. Otherwise he leave you alone like good mentor does."

Lux nodded and then pointed towards where she assumed the screen would be where they could watch recaps of the other reapings, which were all scheduled to take place at the same time so that they could end at the same time. Cashmere seemed to get Lux's implication, and grabbed a nearby remote from a pocket on the seat and pressed two buttons: one to lower and open the screen, and the other to turn it on. A third button-push later and the reaping recaps were already playing. Lux watched as her televised self brawled through the mass of girls and young women to reach the stage.

"Oy," Lucas grinned, "Luxie be a big fighter. Strong and powerful!"

Lux handed him the slip of paper that had her name on it, pointing first to the word 'Lux' before nodding, and then to the 'e' in Calameda, where she glared and shook her head. Lucas guffawed again.

"Now, now, little Luxie," he smiled as they watched Malcolm reach the stage on the little screen, "Lucas didn't mean for the offensing. But if it make you do for the feeling better, Lucas will call you Lux."

Lux nodded, seemingly satisfied with the outcome as she turned her head towards the screen again to watch the tributes from District 2.

Both tributes were tanned and athletic, with the boy, Zack Valencia, having spiky black hair, and his partner, Esmeralda Chama, sporting black curls that fell past her shoulders.

"They look cool enough," Malcolm nodded approvingly, turning to Lux. "think they'd join us in a career pack?" He didn't expect Lux to even give him the time of day, but to his slight surprise, she actually nodded. Her expression betrayed her however; clearly she was deep in thought about something. There was sincerity behind her assertion, but there was clearly a thorough analysis going on in the pretty girl's head that none of them were really seeing in enough detail.

"Linus Takamatzu and Glitch Montezuma, District 3…" Cashmere returned the focus to the screen, where the District 3 tributes stood waving. This year, both of them had surprised people somewhat by volunteering for the games—a rarity in what was considered a non-career district and a rather rebellious one at that. Still, history had shown that dozens of District 3 tributes had successfully joined the career pack, and that their victor record was not too shabby either.

The pair from District 4 confused even Lux though: a brother and sister duo, named Lars Holiday and Nina Holiday. It would not have been too surprising if it was like Wesley and Aveline from four years earlier, who both had simply had the misfortune of being reaped the same day; these two had volunteered together. It seemed particularly odd, especially since they didn't seem to be on hostile terms with one another, but perhaps there was something else going on below the surface that they were unawares about.

Whatever the case, Malcolm and Lux paid little attention to the tributes after that, though Lux raised an eyebrow at District 7's Gaius Lucero, while Malcolm commented on his partner, Sable Ogawa.

"That looks like another fighter," he warned, "she's got the spirit of a career in her."  
Lux glanced at him with her curious expression, raising an eyebrow.

"Well obviously I don't officially know that or anything," he shrugged, "but I can see it in her eyes."  
Their attention dropped back mostly after District 8, and didn't pick up until seeing Lincoln Domingo and Mariah Santiago from District 11 take the stage.

"I'm sure neither of you need a reminder about the dangers of Districts 11 and 12," Cashmere quipped, "I almost guarantee they will be formidable. Even '12 has been getting braver lately, and their two recent victories are a sign of that."  
Sure enough, there was a certain level of confidence and cunning emanating from the expressions of the two dirty, dark-skinned tributes that appeared on the District 12 stage as the scenes changed. Colton Lasiere and Anna Shrike smirked as they noticed the cameras, but a moment later their faces returned stoic again. Lux eyed them with amusement, wondering what meeting them in person would be like. Not that she really cared much about socializing; but seeing what the other tributes were capable of would give her a lot to think about over the next week or so while they all shared a training room together. She glanced at Malcolm and then shrugged.

"Looks like we've got our work cut out for us, eh?" he nudged her.

"12 and 11 will make for tough opponents," Lucas warned, "but Lucas not imagine it to be very hard for strong and beautiful tributes like you. Just remember—if you both don't earn perfect scores like Lucas he will drink you under table! Ha! Ha!"

"I guess I should get a little rest then," Malcolm chuckled, rising to his feet. "I'll see you guys in a little bit or something, I suppose."

He cleared the room, and there was a silence that spread over the table as Cashmere and Lucas glanced at Lux, who did not seem to be making any eye contact.

"I'm curious about you, Lux," Cashmere spoke after a few moments of silence. Lux simply gave a slight shrug with one shoulder, not even moving her arms. "Tell me what you like to do when you're by yourself. You can trust me—I'm on your side."  
For a moment it appeared that Lux was about to stand up and leave, but instead, she relented. She mimed drawing, gesturing for paper. She would much rather show her mentors what she enjoyed doing rather than try to wave her arms like an idiot trying to tell them. Surprisingly, it was Lucas and not Cashmere that produced a pencil and paper with a friendly smile.

"Little Lux likes the drawing?" he asked curiously. Lux obviously did not respond, but got to work.

Not only was Lux an incredible artist, but it seemed like one of her passions was in clothing design. Images of beautiful women (and some men) in dance-like poses clad in beautiful attire filled the page within a matter of minutes. Cashmere actually appeared awestruck.

Lux simply shrugged when it was over, and left the piece as if nothing had even happened. She gave her mentors a nod as she returned to the back car to her quarters.

"She's talented," Cashmere stated the obvious.

"Oy," Lucas nodded, "normally Lucas might be worried about how skilled of fighter she is… but methinks there will not be need for the worrying about that."


	4. Chapter 4: Of Tributes and Victors Past

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _I'm working full-time now, and so posting rates are going to slow down a bit. In the meantime, here's the next chapter. Lux is really fun to write for because she's tricky. Even the undertones that Cashmere, Lucas, and Malcolm pick up from her gestures and actions don't always say everything that's on her mind, and so having the character convey her feelings without using any dialogue is turning out to be rather fun challenge. Let me know what you think._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 4: Of Tributes and Victors Past**

Malcolm woke up before Lux did, and when he stepped back out into the main car again he found the artistic sketch Lux had left before her nap still sitting on the counter where she had left it. Her signature was surprisingly elegant and feminine for someone that he had realized was a rather violent woman, if her fight to the stage during the reaping had been any indicator. Lux was an intriguing creature, and while Malcolm obviously found her attractive, that was not the primary source of his interest. He wondered who Lux really was. The woman was silent; unable to speak even if she wanted to; and the expressions she made seemed to hint that social pleasantries were not her thing.

Cashmere and Lucas managed to shake him out of these thoughts as they entered the compartment.

"Is it bad that there's a part of me worried that Lux is going to kill me?" Malcolm voiced a concern as his mentors sat down across from him.

"It's a valid concern only because there is only ever one victor in the Hunger Games," Cashmere pointed out, "but I imagine that as long as you don't get on her bad side, I'm sure she'll be reasonable."  
"That's the thing," Malcolm shrugged, "I think my very existence has me on her bad side."

"Oy," Lucas spoke up, "Lucas has given this subject much of the thinking over drinks and the cards-playing with Cashmere… and methinks Lux is simply introvert. She's definitely loner type who doesn't like for the socializing, so odds are when Lux is tired she goes and does the hostile to everyone, even nice friendly mentors like Lucas and Cashmere."

"Well, introvert or not, I'd really like for my partner not to kill me." Malcolm clarified.

"Now, now, you know how to fight, yes?" Lucas continued, "Lucas is certain that you know how to defend yourself. Hopefully we can do the talking sense into Lux before games start to keep her from killing friends, but even if Lux turns on you, you can make for the defending, no?"

"Fair point," Malcolm conceded. "Speaking of which, shouldn't we be arriving in the Capitol soon?"

"We're nearly there," Cashmere nodded, rising to her feet, "I should go alert Lux."

Obviously there was no response from Lux as Cashmere knocked on her door, and so she slid it open a crack to see what Lux was up to.

Surprisingly, the bed was made, and there was hardly a mess anywhere. A few papers littered the small table, but they appeared to be sketches rather than random scrap or garbage. Lux was in the corner in front of the mirror grooming herself for the day. Cashmere quietly wondered why a woman as tall as Lux wore heels, though her legs, which her miniskirt did little to cover, kind of spoke for themselves in that regard. Lux saw Cashmere's reflection in the mirror and stood up, gesturing curiously towards the older woman, wondering why she was here.

"We're nearly at the Capitol," Cashmere explained, "and I was just coming in to make sure you were awake and ready."

Lux gave a snort that almost sounded like a silent laugh. The right side of her lip even curled upward as she crossed her arms. Lux's trend of preferring long sleeves seemed to prevail in her outfit today, although instead of sky blue, today her clothing was red.

"I can see that," Cashmere acted as if Lux had responded, "and you look absolutely stunning. Come; let's get a bit or two to eat before we get there so we don't have to deal with the Capitol crowds on an empty stomach, yeah?"

Lux paused for a moment before imitating a loud guffaw and a stupid, vacant expression that was clearly a sour parody of Lucas.

"Hey now!" Cashmere took Lux's hand and closed it in her own, "Lucas isn't that bad. He thinks you're pretty like everyone else that sees you seems to, but he means well. He's not by any means sexist; you have my word on that one."

Lux raised an eyebrow.

"He's helped me in more ways than I'm willing to share at the moment," Cashmere continued, "And more than just the incident with the beer and the snow. I know this is the Hunger Games where you shouldn't trust anyone, but remember your real enemy. Lucas and I are here to help you, and even your partner Malcolm wants to remain allies at least for the early part of the games."

Lux put her free hand on top of Cashmere's and nodded. She clutched an invisible dagger and stabbed it, then shook her head as she pointed out into the halls towards the compartment where she assumed the two men were.

"Speaking to you makes me wish you could speak back," Cashmere commented as she released Lux's hands. "You look like you have so much to say and so many stories to tell. I bet you probably would have had a wonderful singing voice too."  
Lux snorted. She stuck her thumb out in the direction of the hall again and walked past Cashmere, who followed her out until they had rejoined Lucas and Malcolm at the table.

"Hey Lux," Malcolm offered his hand, "no hard feelings, yeah?"

To his surprise, Lux gave him a firm handshake worthy of Lucas, before nodding curtly. He wasn't sure if his sigh of relief was fully internal or if he had actually done it out loud.

"Oy," Lucas spoke up as Cashmere sat back down, "so now that we're all here, Lucas just want to say he is excited for this year because Lux and Malcolm look strong—and they look like winners."  
"Is that what you told Faren and Serendipity last year?" Malcolm asked as he thought about the strong young man and wily young woman from last year's games. "Or Cobalt and Vivian; Charm and Luster; even Zaffre and Lazuli?"

"Now, now…" Lucas began, "Lucas was not mentor all those years, though he does remember Vivian."

Cashmere cut him off before he could continue. "Most of the recent tributes were mentored by my brother and I so Lucas could be the goofy drunk he usually is, and so that Nailah could brood in peace. Aye, most of the tributes that come out of this district are strong, but not all of them always feel like they're going to be victors the way you two do. I'm not one to butter people up with posh words they want to hear. In the last 5 years, I feel like the District 1 kid with the highest chances of winning was Vivian Nelson from '93. Serendipity was cunning, but I felt like she relied too much on using other people rather than working on her own. Vivian lost her entire dominant arm and survived for 4 more days before being bested in single combat with one of District 12's most trained rebels. That doesn't happen more than once a generation—if even that."

"So what makes us stand out?" Malcolm raised an eyebrow.

"There's a fighting spirit I haven't seen since Nelson," Cashmere began, "but more than that, you two are proud, but still wary. Most of the other kids that come marauding through the reaping and make it to the Capitol are so confident and cocky that they don't realize they're not invincible until they're too late. Vivian was one of the few that simply adapted to her situation with little regard to the outcome, but that's a dangerous outlook to have, especially if you cannot wield it properly. Your sense of caution and reservation of strength is one of your greatest assets, Malcolm."

Lux put her hands together and raised her eyebrows.

"You, Lux…" Cashmere began, "for one, you remind me of my mother Aurum nearly 50 years ago. You're a lot less reckless than her, but equally ruthless. I have no doubts that you'll make it far. You both will. I strongly feel like one of you will win, even."

"So you haven't felt this strongly about all of your tributes?" Malcolm turned his gaze to meet Cashmere and look her right in the eyes.

"Honestly… no." Cashmere shook her head, "obviously we want our tributes to win every year, but sometimes that's just not feasible even if the other tributes wouldn't prevent it after a 2-year streak. Also, like I said earlier: I'm not one for hollow words. I'm not just saying I think you have a chance to make you feel good—I'm saying it because I genuinely believe that you can break this 15-year drought we're in and have one of you come home as District 1's 14th victor."

"Oy," Lucas piped up, "and even Lucas feel same way. Sure, normally Lucas is funny man who guffaws at things and doesn't take much seriously. But in Hunger Games, Lucas want his tributes to come home just as Cashmere or Gloss does. Basically, you have the fullest support from Lucas here."

He paused as he felt the train slowing down. They glanced out the window to see that the Capitol was already not only in view, but that they were surrounded by it. So immersed were they by their conversation that they had hardly even realized it until now.

"Well then," Lucas grunted as he pulled himself to his feet, "Looks like resting time on train is over. Time to meet Capitol and strut your stuff, yes!" he guffawed again. Malcolm chuckled, though Lux found the joke slightly less amusing. She had no reservations about her physical appearance, but like in any situation, knowing that she would have to deal with legions of crowds and strangers grated on her, and she was never very fond of the notion. Either way, she took a deep breath and followed Malcolm, Cashmere, and Lucas to the compartment door.


	5. Chapter 5: Surprising Alliances

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _After over two months of absolutely nothing on the Hunger Games front, I emerge from the ashes to post something fresh! Obviously this isn't going to stop my other projects; I'm just writing them a couple hundred words at a time, and gradually/eventually, I finish them. Anyways, here's chapter 5, which also includes beautiful little Lux's parade costume. With a killer body like hers, and the nature of District 1 stylists... it's inevitable that it's going to be fanservicey. I apologize for nothing._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 5: Surprising Alliances**

Lux squinted disapprovingly as she stepped out into the bright sunlight from the cozy train car. The sun wasn't so much the problem as much as the way it reflected off of the bright white buildings that comprised the pristine Capitol. Malcolm and Lux were not unfamiliar with wealth and prosperity, considering that even though they were still a great deal behind the magnificent Capitol, they were still the wealthiest of the 12 districts, and so seeing opulence all around them was not terribly new to them.

Despite the crowds fawning over them like they usually did with the career tributes every year, Lux was visibly uncomfortable with all the noise and commotion. Malcolm noticed it and to Lux's surprise, he took her hand and helped lead her to the tower and get her out of public view quicker than otherwise. It wasn't that Lux was shy, but her inner introvert heaved a noticeable sigh of relief once they were out of the ogling gazes of the Capitol crowds.

"Now don't bite my head off for anything for this," Malcolm began as they got to the elevator to get to the "1st" floor (the lowest level and mezzanine were a separate floor from floor 1, as to not deprive District 1, one of their favourite districts, from having as much apartment space as any of the other districts), "but are you uncomfortable in front of people, Lux?"  
Lux shook her head. She motioned that people too close to her made her uncomfortable, and as the mimed distance, she heaved a relieved sigh again as if to indicate that it was okay.

"I'll see if I can keep people at something of a distance," Cashmere piped into the conversation as they stepped off onto their landing, "although with a figure like yours, Lux, you're going to get attention, for better or for worse. It's kind of a District 1 thing."

Lux's expression showed exasperation but she did not give any other visible signs of discomfort. She seemed aware enough of that obvious fact at least and didn't express any further opposition to it. If she hated people as much as she acted like she did, it appeared that she sometimes made exceptions. Cashmere was easily one of these, and Malcolm seemed to be another one, for now. To his surprise, Lux actually tapped him on the shoulder.

"Look," he began, "I'll give you your space if that's what you're asking."

Lux shook her head, and then put her hand around her upper bicep just below the shoulder before doing the same with her other arm. She gripped an invisible handle and swung, and then paused to see if Malcolm could understand her.

"Attacking?" He tilted his head slightly. It was difficult to try and find a sign for "games" in reference to the Hunger Games, and Lux was internally frustrated that she didn't have a better way of conveying the beginning of her remark. She tried again, moving her fingers along her arms along the same pattern that the shoulder bands of a tribute's uniform (where their district number was displayed) and then signed various numbers—the numbers of districts that were common threats, which lately were Districts 2, 5, 11, and 12 (and 1 of course, though they did not see themselves as threats to themselves).

"Alliances?" Malcolm had again missed the point, although really he had just skipped a step. Lux nodded before pointing at him, then at herself, before offering her hand to shake.

"You want to be allies in the games?" her nods on the train when he had proposed an alliance had subdued his concern for the moment, but seeing it come from Lux's very actions caused a wave of relief to wash over him. He was not afraid of Lux, per se, but her generally rather cold, unwelcoming demeanor made it hard to know if she was simply being herself or if she really did intend to kill him—especially since they would both be in a death tournament within a week, where the possibility of having to turn on each other was very real. It was not cowardice to be wary of the other tributes in the games, including one's own district partner. Any victor worth his or her salt could tell them that.

Whatever the case, Lux nodded, giving him the closest thing to a smile he had seen since the reaping. Lux didn't feel like it needed to be said that there would eventually come a time when their alliance would have to break off if they both survived that long, and Malcolm either didn't think about it or was aware of it himself to the point that addressing it felt unnecessary.

Either way, their thoughts were interrupted by Atticus poiking his head in once again, this time accompanied by a pair of ornately dressed characters adorned in exotic reds, purples, and golds. Tails and trails seemed to be their fashion trend of the week, for both of them sported long, flowing hair, and wore robes with billowing sleeves and sashes, among other things. Lux silently scoffed at the extravagance, but knew there was nothing she could do to get out of it.

As Atticus introduced the pair as Dorian and Vivienne, Lux was busy introspecting. It had been literal decades since the stylists had ever put the girls from District 1 in anything even somewhat modest, but that wasn't really so much what bothered Lux. People who saw her from distant seats and stands didn't matter; just as television viewers miles away didn't really bother her. The interviews in a week might bother her a bit more due to how close Caesar Flickerman would be to her, but the audiences also kept their distance.

She trusted Malcolm enough that she wouldn't be bothered about sharing the chariot with him in an hour or two. That much was clear to her, and so when Vivienne called her forward, she went without hesitation. Her stoic face returned, and it was clear that her stylist was already analyzing her as they headed towards the studios.

"See ya out there," Malcolm gave a friendly wave. Lux actually nodded and flicked a couple of fingers in a respectful farewell gesture back at him. She liked him, for what it was worth. He'd obviously have to die if she was to live, but there were 22 other boys and girls to worry about first. That was still a week away, though. For now, it was time to get dressed and cleaned up.

"Darling," Vivienne began as they reached the studio, "you are absolutely STUNNING! I know exactly what to do with you…"  
Lux raised a finger, before covering her chest and waist, despite still being clothed.

"No, dear, you won't be naked…" Vivienne seemed to be very acute at interpreting Lux's signing and body language, "although with a body like that, you would undoubtedly be a hit. No… I wouldn't mind sending you out that way, but there's no fun in not being able to decorate you up a bit. Speaking of; do be a dear and disrobe for me?"

Tributes from District 1 seldom ever had to get a makeover the way some of the more unkempt tributes from the outer districts did. Lux was given a brief shower after she disrobed, and then stood there in nothing but her skin as Vivienne sized her up.

"Mmm…" she hummed, taking measurements and glancing over to where she had a colorful array of cloths and fabrics that Lux could only guess the purpose of. "Now, put these on, and close your eyes." Vivienne had offered Lux a glittery pair of pumps whose colors were hard to place, almost as if they changed color based on the angle they were viewed at. After slipping her feet into them, Lux's analysis indicated that their base color appeared to be magenta. She stood there awkwardly, wondering where the rest of her outfit was, but Vivienne insisted that she closed her eyes. Lux did so, and felt like sand was being thrown at her, and then that she was slowly being tied up in cloth. She had a bad feeling about what to expect.

"Open up, darling… we're finished!" Vivienne cooed after several minutes. Lux glanced at herself in the mirror to find herself looking rather strange, but nearly as awful as she thought. Unsurprisingly, she was still very exposed, but there were colorful sashes wrapped expertly around her bust and loins, forming elegant patterns and surprisingly not being half as tacky as Lux had feared. The sand she had felt actually appeared to be a type of glitter, and her body was covered in it in a way that she sparkled a dazzling array of colors. It seemed to be a similar substance to the stuff on her heels, which changed color based on what angle it was viewed from. Her hair was mostly left alone, except that there was glitter in her golden curls as well, and she had a little bit of red lipstick and rainbow eyeshadow. Otherwise, the look was simple, but remarkably extravagant.

"What do you think?" Vivienne beamed, although she noticed Lux's expression right away. "Don't worry—your interview outfit will be much less revealing than this costume. You seem like a very acute girl. You know why I do this, do you not?

Lux nodded, gesturing with her hands about something or another, almost as if hoping to trip Vivienne up. The stylist was unfazed.

"Aye," she nodded, "The Capitol goes crazy over it. Sponsors are going to line up to throw gifts at you. While I'm fairly certain you're competent enough on your own, just think—a good sponsor gift will get you home that much sooner!"

It was easy to miss the undertone in her words, but it seemed that Vivienne wasn't quite as blindly fond of the Hunger Games as many other Capitolites. This brought a smirk to Lux's face more than it should have. It meant she was not alone.


	6. Chapter 6: Stoic Beauty

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _It's been a while, hasn't it? I don't know why it took so long to finish this, especially since I had half the chapter written out ages ago (like, "right after finishing chapter 5", long ago) but whatever. Anyhoo, here's chapter 6 where we get to see the tribute parade. Lux is by no means ashamed of her appearance, and while not outgoing by any means, she's not afraid to interact. Also, contrary to one's first impressions, Lux does in fact have a sense of humor, even if it's mostly snark and sharp wit._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 6: Stoic Beauty**

While Lux was receiving her fashionable makeover, so too was Malcolm. Dorian ran him through a similar process, although with less use of the word "darling" and with his outfit revealing much less skin (not that Lux's costume set a very high standard in the first place). Still, with his athletic figure, Malcolm was easy on the eyes, and so parts of his chest, arms, and legs were left exposed as he was decked out in rainbow cloth similar to Lux's, except with a pair of colorful shorts underneath, and no shoes.

Malcolm found the outfit a bit extravagant as well, and his items had a soft blue tone to them instead of the pink that Lux's did, but it was more the conversation the two men had that kept Malcolm alert.

"Oh what I'd do to have had the pleasure of dressing that fine young lady…" Dorian sighed.

"That's not some fancy-talk for wanting to see her naked, is it?" Malcolm quipped.

"Hardly," Dorian laughed, "though I certainly doubt that would be a detractor at all. Besides… if she wins, the Capitol will inevitably put her to 'good use' just as they did with that redheaded boy from the previous year."

"You don't seem too happy about that notion." Malcolm noted.

"Well, it's not my choice to make, and I'm not really in any position to be able to prevent it," Dorian clarified. "Prostitution of victors is a common practice, and it's left to people far more important than me. We stylists aren't very high up on the Capitol social ladder, and I definitely don't want to bore you with the dreadfully tedious methodology of Capitol politics. But in fine, to dress Lux Calameda would be like carving a sculpture out of rare and valuable material. It's a once in a lifetime event, and the privilege of working with someone who is so naturally breathtaking is any stylist's dream."  
"Mm?" Malcolm tilted his head slightly as Dorian continued to apply glitter and similar effects to Malcolm in a similar fashion to how Vivienne was doing with Lux.

"Part of the reason why so many of us vie for District 1 is because of how beautiful the tributes are that come from there," Dorian explained, "and while I mean no offense to you by saying this, Lux Calameda is one of the most beautiful tributes I've seen in my 18 years of working here."

"I'm not going to lie and try and pretend she's not extremely hot," Malcolm admitted, "but she feels exactly like the kind of person that would literally kill me over a comment like that, whether on the spot or in the arena."

"I have not seen a tribute as fierce as Lux in the over 30 years I've watched the Hunger Games." Dorian explained, "I've seen some come close: Cadence, Nailah, Katniss… to name a few victors; Iris, Monica, Garrett… I suppose I am judging Lux prematurely though. While it seems comically unlikely, she could very well be something vastly different than what we're hyping her up as, and disappoint thousands by dying in the bloodbath."  
"That's kind of a stretch, wouldn't you say?" Malcolm quipped as Dorian added the final touches to his outfit.

"Aye, that it might be," the stylist laughed, "but I suppose we can discuss it later. It's time for you to go out there and shine."  
"Is there anything special about the costume I need to know about?" Malcolm asked. Tributes often had effects built into their costumes, set to trigger after the tributes flipped a small switch or button, although plenty were just presented as is.

"Well, other than that it's fairly easy to remove, it's fairly straightforward as it is," Dorian nodded, "so, just stand tall and proud, and show the world the pride of District 1. If you want to check Lux out, either do so before the parade or after. Eyes need to be on the crowds when you're on that chariot!"  
This last statement or two was said mostly in jest, and Malcolm actually appreciated that these shrewd stylists had a sense of humor. Still, when he stepped out there and saw Lux wearing nothing but shoes, sashes, and glitter, it was hard not to stare.

He was not the only one either. A pair of tributes clad in exotically colored clothing was glancing at her, and at Malcolm. Both of them were decked out in dark shades of blue, green, maroon and purple, lined with ornate golden patterns, with bangles around their wrists and ankles. The stylists had even gone as far as piercing their ears with large, golden hoop earrings not unlike the ones the Head Gamemaster always wore. Oddly enough, both of them were also barefooted.

"What are you two supposed to be?" Malcolm glanced at the familiar District 2 pair, surprised that these outfits had clearly not followed District 2's usual set of themes.

"Exotic," Esmeralda twirled rather gracefully on one of her feet, "sexy; beautiful; the most attractive tributes this side of Lux Calameda. Speaking of which, I'm straight but hot damn."

Lux snorted, but an odd partial smile crept up onto one corner of her lip.

"I'm straight and hot damn," Zack added with a quip. "is that going to even stay on?"  
While he had been asking more about how "sturdy" it was, Lux's response surprised them all. She made a few gestures clearly imitating a parade, but then thumbed back in the direction of the tribute tower, and made motions that clearly looked like stripping.

"I'd pay to see that," Zack admitted rather shamelessly. Lux responded by pivoting rather elegantly on her heel before swaying her hips and body in an extremely suggestive manner, eliciting laughs from the other three careers, and slow claps from a pair of tributes that had just shown up.

Clad in striking gold and silver clothing lined with streaks of shimmering black, it was difficult to tell what sort of abstract design the District 12 stylists had pursued this year, but Colton Lasiere and Anna Shrike were on the scene, expressions of amusement on their faces as Lux stood up straight. She turned to them, spreading her arms and tilting her head.

"It's not a challenge," Colton laughed, "can we not express our own amusement at your appearance?"  
Lux shrugged and crossed her arms, leaning back against one of the walls.

"I'm almost surprised you're not more annoyed," Malcolm quipped, his eyes glancing at Lux's, though occasionally falling to her bust or her hips, which her scanty outfit made extremely difficult to ignore.

Lux just shrugged again. She motioned at her body before nodding approvingly and closing her eyes.

She loved her body. She was fit, attractive, and beautiful, and she knew it. Sure, as minimalistic as her parade costume was, she didn't mind it, or mind how much skin it showed. It obviously brought undue attention, but the way the tributes thus far had handled it actually didn't bother her as much as she had expected it to. Still, Zack had given her a challenge, and so she would have to live up to it once the parade was over.

The last pair of tributes to show up this year were the District 11 pair, clad in shimmering white and green robes. Lux wasn't sure what the theme here was either, but she also didn't care too much. Neither the costumes nor the tributes were ugly, but she knew full well that she was the most attractive tribute in the games this year, and the awareness of this fact among the other tributes was so obvious that Lux didn't even really see this as an egotistical move on her part. Stroking her ego wasn't really her thing anyways. Barring the fact that she couldn't exactly talk herself up due to her inability to speak, she much preferred showing people her merits instead. She was a woman of action, both by choice and because of her disability.

" _Damn, she's cute when she introspects like that_ …" Malcolm thought to himself as he watched Lux's expression change. She had a very contemplating look on her visage, and was unaware of this "thinking face" she had. The only thing that snapped her out of it was when the tributes began boarding the chariots to commence the parade.

As always, District 1 led the train of chariots, and surprisingly, none of the districts had any "special" effects on their costumes. They were exotic as always, although with how shiny and revealing Lux's costume, a great deal of Capitol eyes were on her.

Lux was well-aware of this, although while Malcolm made expressions of confidence and charm, Lux folded her arms behind her back, lifting her chin a few inches as she made the most stoic, indifferent expression anyone had seen from a District 1 girl in years. The large screens that flanked the Capitol audiences on both sides occasionally panned in on one of the chariots, and seeing Lux on the big screens was an interesting sight, considering the way her hair and costume shimmered in the evening lights. Before they knew it, they were circling President Snow's mansion, where the aged president of Panem stepped out to give his usual short annual speech.

"Welcome to the 95th Annual Hunger Games," he announced, slowly spreading his arms in a welcoming fashion, "and may the odds be ever in your favor."

For a moment, his eyes met Lux's, although there was no threat behind them this time. If anyone, perhaps he too was just admiring her youthful beauty. His expression changed briefly, turning into something that almost seemed like a silent understanding. Surprisingly, Lux's expression changed the same way, which internally pleased her. Few things made Lux more content than knowing that sometimes, there was simply no need for words.


	7. Chapter 7: A Promise Upheld

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _Lo and behold, I live, and thus so does this story! This is a particularly interesting and unique chapter because while Lux does in fact make good on her claim that she'd undress after the parade, it's hardly meant to be lewd or sexual, and Lux herself doesn't play it off that way either. Lux is sassy, but she's also an extremely introspective character who prefers to get lost in her own thoughts. How this will affect her performance in the training center and arena, however, remains to be seen._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 7: A Promise Upheld**

The Chariots began making their way back towards the Tribute Tower, and perhaps with the knowledge of realizing that they were no longer on camera or on display for the Capitol audience, Lux swayed her hips, as if trying to spur a reaction from the District 2 tributes behind her. The smirk that crept onto her face a moment later was a sign that they delivered, for one of them had most certainly wolf-whistled.

"And here I thought you were reserved," Malcolm commented as their chariots slowed to a halt a few minutes later at the entrance to the tower, where they and the other tributes disembarked.

Lux merely shook her head and shrugged. She struck a confident pose, and cracked a smile. Humor was by no means lost on her, and introverts needed social interaction just as others did; they just needed it in smaller amounts. Lux felt like she still had a bit of 'social energy' remaining before she would want to be alone again, and she knew exactly how she was going to spend it.

"You've got a nice butt," Zack was the one to shamelessly make the comment as he joined Lux and Malcolm on their way to the training center. Several tributes (and almost always the careers) would sneak down to the dimly lit and deserted training center the night before training actually began to get a peek at it. While the academies in District 1 and District 2 were plenty nice in their own right, they, much like the wealth these two districts boasted, paled in comparison to the wealth and quality of the Capitol's facilities.

Lux simply nodded and gave Zack a wink in response to his comment, because even if she could reply, she didn't really have a verbal response in mind. Besides, seeing all of these different weapons of murder laid out in front of her of two things; firstly, that she really wanted to give some of them a few practice swings. Secondly, that regardless of how she felt about Zak, Esmeralda, and even Malcolm, they and all of the others would inevitably die. Alternately, she would die instead, and that would be it. Sure she wanted to live, just as any kid fortunate enough to volunteer or unfortunate enough to get reaped did, but death came for everyone and showed no mercy when it was someone's time to go. Whether someone was 18 or 80, there was no escaping it. Some lived longer than others, but Lux ultimately did not fear death. This mindset kept her with a level head when all was said and done.

She cared nothing for or about her costume, or who stared. If people wanted to watch her heft a greatsword or a battleaxe with the strength of one of those girthy District 11 tributes, she was fine with letting them watch. Even in heels there was a certain kind of dexterity in her step as she tested the balance of the weapon before giving it a few practice swings. She definitely wanted to get her hands on a two-handed weapon in the arena if the opportunity presented itself.

None of the careers planned on staying too long, knowing that they'd have all week to hang out in the training center and have at targets and holograms with their weapons of choice, but even then, it did not stop Esmeralda from coyly whistling at Lux as she put an enormous sword back on the rack she had found it on.

Lux pivoted rather gracefully on one foot as she stepped towards the District 2 pair. Wordlessly and without a notable expression on her face, she twirled again, unraveling the colorful bands of fabric that had covered parts of her body during the parade, until she was standing in front of them wearing nothing but high heels and glitter. She held out her hand for a moment as if expecting payment—a clear reference to earlier, before turning around again and walking to the elevator. Zack didn't even try to hide that he was staring at Lux's backside, and frankly, Malcolm and Esmeralda didn't hide it either. One of the District 3 tributes—another volunteer who looked likely to join the career pack this year, clapped his hands slowly and appreciatively.

"Well that was a highlight if I ever saw one," he quipped. "If she tries that in the arena she's going to win, hands down."

"Not going to lie," the boy's partner spoke up, "I'd kill for a body like that."

"You'll have plenty of time for that in a week," Esmeralda elbowed her. The girl smirked.

"I'm sure I will," the girl extended her hand to Esmeralda, "Glitch Montezuma, District 3."  
"How'd a girl as cute as you end up with a name like that?" Esmeralda giggled.  
"Accidents happen," Glitch laughed, "and not always just in programming."

"It makes me wonder what would have happened if Lux's costume had dropped during the parade," Glitch's partner pointed out."  
"Then she'd get Capitolites throwing sponsor gifts at her probably literally, Linus," Glitch used the boy's name, "they prostitute the pretty victors. I'm sure her looks are going to give her an edge whether they like it or not."

The Capitol was not one to tell the tributes about how they were used when in the Capitol, but plenty of victors had spoken of it to tributes over the years that they had mentored. Tributes from the richer districts such as '5, '2, or '1 knew this well, although it was not unheard of in Districts such as 3 and 4 either, considering that Glitch and Linus both knew it as well. Either way, the tributes from Districts 1, 2, and 3 knew that should someone as attractive as Lux win, being used by the Capitol was almost guaranteed to be part of her fate.

Lux knew it as well, but didn't think about it. Not all fates were worse than death, and she was not above violence. She didn't fear death, whether from another tribute or as retribution for attacking a Capitolite that might have mistreated her. It was certainly not that she was ashamed of her body, considering that she was now seated on the sofa in her apartment wearing nothing but glitter and a pair of high heels as she watched reruns of past Hunger Games.

Esmeralda, Zack, Malcolm, and those District 3 goons weren't annoying; it was just that Lux had had enough social interaction for the time being and wanted to be left alone. Fortunately for her, Cashmere was the first one to see her rather than Lucas. The man was growing on her a little bit, but right now, she wanted quiet apart from the sounds from her television.

"Is there any particular reason you're naked?" she raised an eyebrow. Lux shook her head and shrugged. She pointed to her shoulder and then held up two fingers. She then gestured her hands in a challenging motion before moving as if to remove invisible clothing.

"Are you just going to stay like that for the rest of the night?" Cashmere gave her a curious look. Lux nodded nonchalantly and turned back to her TV for a moment before turning back. She mimed a distinct guffaw and then motioned dismissively.

"You want Lucas to stay away?" Cashmere didn't want to assume too much, but she didn't always understand Lux's gestured, and did not want to offend her by assuming something that Lux was not trying to say. Lux nodded.

"Maybe try putting clothes on then," Cashmere quipped. Lux cracked a silent chuckle and shook her head, making it clear from her expressions that she did not care even remotely if Lucas (or anyone) saw her naked. Sighing mostly in frustration at herself for not having a better way to express it, she got up and scribbled something on a piece of paper. Lux's handwriting was very elegant and curvy much like its owner—her style was almost like calligraphy, as Cashmere discovered when Lux handed her the sheet.

" _I just want to be left alone for a bit." The note explained, "I've had a little too much social stimulation in the last couple of hours and it's worn me out. It's nothing personal; not even for Lucas, as goofy as I might think he is. I just need a little rest and mindless activity to help tune myself out. Thanks for understanding, Cashmere."  
~Lux Calameda~_

"You have beautiful handwriting, by the way" Cashmere smiled as she folded up the note, and walked off, "but I'll let you alone now."

Lux gestured her gratitude before zoning out in front of the television. Nothing in particular stood out to her about what she was watching, but she was also not really paying attention. Today had been a wild series of events, and perhaps had been a bit too socially stimulating for her. She hoped she would be able to find some alone time in the arena, because while she didn't fear death, she felt that she deserved to die with a bit more dignity than being all tense and stressed from too much social stimulation. In the meantime, she looked forward to the upcoming week. Training officially started tomorrow, and she was quite ready to bash some heads in—even if they were just holograms for now…


	8. Chapter 8: Resting Tribute-Face

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _This one didn't get delayed quite as badly as '94, but 5 months between updates is still way too long, and I apologize for that. Here we get to see the alliances start to form that were briefly mentioned in the 95th chapter of Victors' Chronicles. For those who have not seen the updates, I'm getting back on a huge Hunger Games kick, and I plan to capitalize on that by hopefully making a lot of progress on many of these fics. No promises, but I'll do everything I can. Thank you for your patience and feedback._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 8: Resting Tribute-Face**

Every career tribute worth his or her salt woke up with some level of excitement on the first day of training week. For them it was a time to show off their skills to 22 or 23 other kids; to scare the lesser ones and to show why they were the one that would survive the arena and be crowned victor. While this excitement was standard fare for District 1 and District 2, it also extended into districts such as 5 or 3 which produced the occasional volunteer. As such, Lux's lack of enthusiasm was noted not only by Malcolm and Atticus, but also by Lucas and Cashmere. Malcolm's expression hinted that he had thoughts on his mind about it, while Cashmere knew better than to try and pester the golden-haired girl about it. Lucas was much more vocal, but surprisingly polite—perhaps to keep Atticus off of Lux's case.

"Oy now," he looked her up and down once she emerged from her room in a black and red outfit with a large number 1 on each shoulder, "Lucas did nothing this morning to make Lux angry."  
Lux simply shrugged and shook her head. He had not upset her at all, and she wasn't necessarily even agitated. At the moment, she did not feel like trying to explain this at all, and so she remained inert.

"Lucas, dear," Cashmere stepped in, "how familiar are you with Resting Bitch-Face Syndrome?"

"Glad to know I wasn't the only one who thought that," Malcolm admitted with a laugh.

"Oy, Lucas is no dummy." Lucas guffawed, "but Lucas know better than to tell pretty girl with already short temper that she has resting bitch-face!"

Funny enough, and to everyone's surprise, Lux actually giggled. Hers was an airy, barely audible laugh; hinting that were she able to speak, hers would have likely been a very soft and gentle voice. She shrugged, and with a few gestured indicated that it was mostly true. Her constantly-irritated expression was actually just her resting face when she was not feeling any particularly strong emotion one way or the other. People might have annoyed her, but she wasn't fed up with her team just yet. Any killing she wanted to do would happen in the arena.

Both Malcolm and Lux ate a quick breakfast, and were among the first ones in the Training Center. The only ones that had gotten there before them were District 7, District 3, and the twins from District 4.

"I would've thought Zack and Esmeralda would be here waiting to tell us we were late," Malcolm quipped, causing the corner of Lux's lip to curl upward in amusement. Gradually, the other tributes began to show up, with the wild tributes from District 12 gracing the training center with their presence last of all. While they lacked the red face paint that often denoted dangerous characters from a really shady part of District 12 that the other districts (including "sister-district" 11) talked about in hushed whispers, they wore the same sleazy grins that belonged to ruthless troublemakers. Lux knew at once what kind of tributes they would be in these games, and felt that she would be genuinely surprised if they didn't make it out of the bloodbath.

It did not take long for Atala, the veteran old overseer of the Training Center, to let the tributes get to work. Lux was the contemplative type that wondered why they let tributes wander into this place unsupervised the evening before, but it seemed that even the most rebellious tributes from Districts 11, 8, or 12 knew better than to attack one another or think they could have an armed uprising with 2-6 of them against a legion of Peacekeepers that patrolled the premises.

Funny enough, this was exactly what Colton and Anna were 2whispering about in one of the corners as they constructed makeshift traps.

"There's no way it would work, Anna." Colton quipped without even looking up.

"A girl can dream, can't she?" Anna riposted.

"As long as those dreams don't become a terrifying reality of a bloodbath in here—because you know as well as I do that it would translate into a bloodbath back home, and not the kind where '12 walks free."

"You've heard they have a Mockingjay now, haven't you? And she's from District 2 of all places!"

"Would that we survived to see it then, eh?" Colton elbowed her. "I'd offer you my protection in the arena, but if anything, I feel like I should be asking for yours."  
"Nonsense," Anna shook some hair out of her face. "If I had any money to bet I'd put it on you getting a higher score than me at the end of the week."  
"Are you going to throw it?"

"And get targeted by those bloodthirsty careers as easy-pickin's? I think not."  
"You say that as if you don't stand a chance against them."  
"Against a few, sure; but 5 or 6 against 1 is hardly a fair fight. Even if District 3 doesn't join them, that's still 4 on 1 and I'm screwed. That girl from '1 will probably drink blood from my skull or something."

"You mean the one watching us right now?" Colton was well-aware of Lux standing behind them, her arms crossed, listening to their banter with amusement.

"That's the one," Anna nodded before turning around, "on that note… need something, '1?"

While many other career tributes might have been insulted at the audacity of tributes from the poorer districts not putting them on a pedestal, Lux found it refreshing to be treated more as an equal or as a challenger than as some high and mighty paragon of strength, beauty, and perfection. That was not sure. She was strong, but was pretty sure Malcolm, Zack, and maybe even Esmeralda had more physical strength than her. She was far from perfect, even if she had been able to talk. As for beauty… okay, that one she would admit to.

In response to Anna's question, Lux merely shook her head.

"I don't think either party would settle for us being allies," Colton pointed out. "No offense."

Lux shrugged again, altering her expression to look less hostile as if to say she both understood and was not offended. She then shook her head again, waggling her finger before pointing at her eyes and then at the dark-skinned pair in front of her.

"No… wrong… looking at us?" Anna mumbled, "well, I guess you're right there. There's nothing wrong with you wanting to watch us other than it being slightly awkward. You do you though, I guess."

Lux had been training for years before this moment, and so the idea that she should spend every breathing moment trying to get a few hours or minutes of experience in was not really something she deemed as necessary. Even her reason for volunteering was much different than most other career tributes. Fame and glory and unwanted attention from the Capitol and her peers was not exactly something she dreamed of, and while she had no qualms with killing anyone in this room if necessary, that was also not on her agenda. No, she told herself that she had volunteered for the Hunger Games as a lesson that she could play by the rules and still twist it to her advantage. Her childhood had been spent preparing for this moment; she played by District 1's rules, and was now playing by the Capitol's rules both this week and then the next couple of weeks or so when they were thrown into the arena. For now, however, she was going to practice her swings and observe the other tributes.

It seemed that Esmeralda, Zack, and even Malcolm were operating on good faith that she was joining their alliance—and she would, as long as it suited her; that was standard fare for every tribute that fought their way to the stages in Districts 1 and 2. However, instead of aligning themselves with the careers or even with their peers from District 4, the volunteer pair from District 3 moved to an alliance with a wily District 7 girl. Anna and Colton had wasted no time making friends with Lincoln and Mariah from District 11 shortly after their conversation with Lux had ended, bringing back the 1-2/11-12 factions that had been dominant in most recent games.

The only ones that Lux wasn't sure about by the end of the first day were the siblings from District 4. Why two siblings would volunteer for the same games was beyond Lux's comprehension. Maybe they hated each other? If they did, it was subtle, because they acted amiably towards each other and didn't seem to show any hidden hostility. District 4 was always a hard read though. They had not been fazed by any of Lux's displays of strength or agility, and only watched the other careers with mild amusement. What were they planning? It nagged Lux's mind for several hours after dinner and after they had retired back to their apartment for the evening. Malcolm was the one to shake her out of it.

"I've been meaning to ask you," he pointed out, "Zack, Esmeralda and I were kind of just assuming you were going to join our alliance. Any thoughts or objections?"  
Lux shook her head, before smiling and offering her hand.

"that's a yes to joining then, right?" Malcolm just wanted to double-check. Lux nodded.

"Awesome," he smirked, "I'll let them know tomorrow to keep them from pestering you. '3 decided to wimp out and joined up with a kid from '7, and I don't think '4 is allying with anyone. If they are, it's hard to tell."  
Lux nodded, but mentally cursed.

" _Here I had hoped you would be able to give me some insight on them,"_ she mused to herself, _"perhaps another day."_ The thoughts surrounding Lars and Nina occupied most of her mind that night as she drifted off to sleep. Perhaps she would learn the truth tomorrow.


	9. Chapter 9: The Minds of Madness

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _It's amazing what one can do without the internet. I'm back with a few chapters to post here and there, and so hopefully I'll be able to get this show on the road. That said, we also get a few more insights into Lux's mind and antics, as well as the minds of some of the other crazy tributes that populate this year's arena. District 11 and District 12 expect danger from the career districts, but Lux is a notable departure from what any of them are used to. How they handle this will be seen in due time._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 9: The Minds of Madness**

What District 4 was up to was anyone's guess, and while Lux was pondering that as she drifted off to sleep, Malcolm and the others had just shrugged it off. There were plenty of years where District 4 and even District 3 didn't join the careers, and would be plenty more. Similarly, there were plenty of years that a tribute from District 1 or District 2 came home a victor even when their alliance was just the usual 4-man band from the two famous career districts.

Lux was less concerned about facing them on the battlefield as enemies; she was just insatiably curious about what could make two siblings want to volunteer for the games in the same year without any animosity between the two of them.

Malcolm, Zack, and Esmeralda agreed among themselves to just let Lux do what she wanted, since she was operating on what was clearly a very different wavelength from the others. She remained friendly, and assured them that despite being detached from her fellows, that she was still fully supportive of the career alliance, and thus that they wouldn't need to worry about her stabbing them in the back—not until most of the other tributes were dead at least.

Lars and Nina seemed rather elusive, but eventually they realized that Lux was clearly following them around, and so one of them finally took the cue.

"Alright, '1; we'll bite," Lars grunted, "What do you want?"

She gestured towards them before raising one of her hands high in the air, and then putting both her hands together and interlocking her fingers.

"Hah," Nina gave a dry chuckle. "Tell you what—if you win the games and go on tour, and see our parents up on the stage in front of our faces… you'll know exactly why we volunteered to get out of that mess. Some fates are worse than death, Calameda. You might do well to learn that."  
Lux snorted, her lips still not moving. She simply shook her head, recoiling and then running a finger across her throat and tilting her head. Whether they got the message or not was their prerogative, but Lux knew full well that she didn't fear death any more than Nina or Lars seemed to.

"You look so angry all the time." Lars added as Lux was about to turn and walk away. Lux shrugged, straightened her face a little, and raised her eyebrows. She shook her head and shrugged again, remembering the conversation she had had with Lucas and Cashmere the night before.

Incidentally, over the next several days, Lux trained only sporadically as if part of a workout. Most of the rest of the time she was seen observing other tributes, or even following them. One advantage of being unable to speak was that many of them didn't bother trying to communicate with her, and so no one really tried getting answers out of her as to why she was following them or watching them.

Incidentally, Lux spent most of her time watching the machinations of District 11 and District 12 unfold. They were well-aware of her watching them, but since she was not causing them or anyone any harm, nor breaking any rules, there was nothing they or any of the trainers or overseers could do.

"This one doesn't have the ego of her predecessors," Lincoln warned, "I don't even think she has feelings at all."  
"She's a hate-powered kill machine," Colton laughed, "Looks like we'll have to watch our backs a bit more vigilantly than we might otherwise."

Lux surprised everyone on the 4th day of training by not showing up at the training center at all. She got dressed as if she was going to go down there, but then just shut herself in her room.

"Is that even legal?" Malcolm was the one to ask his mentors about it.

"oy, it's legal." Lucas noted, "tributes don't even need to do showing up for personal training on day 7. If you do that though you just get zero! Haha!"

"The Training Center is more for the benefit of the tributes than the Capitol." Cashmere vouched for Lucas' statement, "of course, sponsors tend to look down on tributes that don't even bother training, and most kids value their lives enough to want to get as much training in as they can."  
"Lux doesn't do much of that," Malcolm pointed out, "she mostly just follows people and watches them at this point. Zack and Esmeralda seem to trust her, but I smell an ulterior motive."  
"I'm damn certain she has an ulterior motive," Cashmere nodded, "Lux is a very methodical woman in case you haven't noticed. Even in her art, every line she traces and every detail she sketches has a purpose. I guarantee that whatever she's doing, she has a very good reason for it."  
"I still feel convinced she's going to put an axe through me at the bloodbath." Malcolm frowned.

"Oy now," Lucas slapped him on the back, "Lucas certain tributes know how to dodge. If you are cautious about pretty lady though, just stay away from her in bloodbath. Cornucopia always has lots of weapons and supplies to choose from, yes?"

"So do you suspect that Zak and Esmeralda are oblivious to Lux's danger?" Cashmere raised an eyebrow.

"Perhaps not," Malcolm shook his head, "usually District 1 is the ditzy oblivious types, but even with District 2's happy go-lucky attitudes this year, neither of them seem oblivious to Lux's threat."

"Do you trust them? Cashmere looked Malcolm in the eyes.

"Well yeah. They actually communicate."  
"And there's the answer. Lux is much more subtle and the nuances of her body language are difficult to catch. She's told me multiple times that you've asked about the alliance, and she insists that she still supports it. If Esmeralda and Zack can understand that too, you might just be acting a little too cautious. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, but if you're worried about crossing Lux, distrusting her when she's being honest is a bad idea."

Malcolm returned to the training center and found that Lux's absence was not just on his mind. He took his mind off of it by grabbing a sword and slashing away at target dummies,

"I'd offer to take bets on whether or not Lux is going to try and rip our throats out in the bloodbath," Colton quipped, "but much like these games, the loser would be dead anyways."

"I like her," Anna admitted, "in a way, of course. She's a breath of fresh air from all those ditzy types that usually crawl out of District 1, and she's a lot more down-to-earth than most of the others. I mean, you can actually threaten her ego without her swearing to drink your blood at the cornucopia."

"Still not a wise idea to go poking tracker-jacker nests," Mariah warned, "whether she goes for us straight after the gong or later in the games, she's going to come after us."

"The same could be said about any of the careers though," Lincoln noted as he tested the trap he had just built, "There's no point in living in fear, unless we want to be cannon fodder."

"It's a shame we got a fearless lot of careers this time," Colton sighed, painting red lines across hi9s partner's face with some of the camouflage substances, "we might have been able to spook them by pretending to be painted tributes or something."  
"They never win though," Lincoln reminded her, "they might come close, but 2nd place is just 1st loser in the Hunger Games."

"Sometimes when the odds are stacked against you," Colton continued coloring Anna's face with ornate designs, "it's less about trying to defy all the odds and survive, and instead more about immortalizing yourself in a way that no one will ever forget. Other than the victors, how many tributes from 50 years can you name besides Zefira Saratoga?"

"Who, bomb-girl?" Mariah raised her eyebrows.

"That's the one," Anna smirked, otherwise remaining still as her partner painted her face. Colton had talented fingers. "She was mute just like Lux is, to boot. I think that's part of what I like about that girl. Judge me all you want for it, but those are my feelings."

"I mean, even I can't blame you if you have the hots for her, Anna," Colton laughed, smearing the last little bit of paint down the left side of Anna's neck, "I bet you the stylists had a Hunger Games of their own to see who got the privilege of dressing her up."

"I heard she actually stripped stark-naked in front of everyone in the training center the night of the chariot parade," Lincoln laughed. "She gave Districts 3, 2, and 1 a killer view."

"Boys, boys," Mariah laughed as well, "Lux might be able to slack off on training and such, but I don't imagine that we have that luxury."

"Never underestimate the will and drive of crazy tributes." Anna was about to lick her lips before realizing they were painted, "Lux, those painted tributes last year; Vivian Nelson and those District 6 druggies in '93, that District 12 sociopath and those District 11 psychos that programmed the mutts in '92, that bloodthirsty District 4 girl from '91… you get the drift. There are crazies every year. Perhaps some or all of us can join Lux in those ranks this year."  
"That's not a terrible idea." Mariah agreed, "If we can't come out of there alive, it wouldn't hurt to at least be remembered as more than just a statistic."

"Now you're thinking like a Painted Tribute," Anna smirked, "if the games aren't crazy enough, we'll make some crazy all on our own…"


	10. Chapter 10: The Scores

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** _Like every 10th chapter of the "Fire Without a Spark" series, the 10th chapter covers the scores. Of course, how each tribute got which scores is the subject of interest, and there's always a bit of content both before and after the private sessions to look forward to. The next chapter will go into how someone mute like Lux is able to have an interview with Caesar Flickerman, but for the time being, here's more of how Lux treats this entire game like she's in charge-an attitude she plans on trying to keep for the entirety of the 'games._  
 _Happy Reading!_

 **CHAPTER 10: The Scores**

Despite her absence on the 4th day of training, Lux returned the following day and acted as if nothing happened. There were hushed whispers from some of the other tributes, particularly Districts 3, 7, 11, and 12, but Zack and Esmeralda acted as if she had never left.

"Have a nice break?" Zack offered his hand as a sort of friendly welcoming-back gesture. Incidentally, Lux shook it and smiled with a nod.

"Well, we're glad you're back." Esmeralda giggled as she drew back a heavy bowstring, "we were worried that you had deserted us and that we'd have to go and convince that girl from District 7 to come and replace you."  
Lux crossed her arms and raised an amused eyebrow as Esmeralda's arrow whizzed through the air and struck the target with a thud less than an inch from the direct center of the bullseye. She nodded approvingly at Esmeralda's shot.

"You aren't still worried about her are you, Malcolm?" Zack glanced over at Lux's partner. Lux seemed unaware of this concern and so she cocked her head in Malcolm's direction immediately in turn.

"Nah, it's just an unreasonable thought I've had since the parade that I can't seem to shake," Malcolm shrugged, "it's not your fault, Lux."  
Lux shrugged before putting her hand over her heart and nodding. She pointed to the District 2 pair and then to Malcolm, nodding and smiling before offering her hand to the latter."

"Seems she still trusts you," Zack noted; "at least, as much as you can trust anyone in these games. Ezzie and I might be best buddies, but if we survive to the end of the games one of us is going to have to kill the other. Don't dwell on it too much though."  
"He's right you know," Esmeralda added, "there are 20 other tributes that would gladly cut off our heads and shit down our throats if we gave them the opportunity. Odds are one or two might succeed, but in the meantime, we keep fighting to deny them that chance."  
Lux actually snorted before bursting into her breathy giggles. She mimed decapitating someone before squatting down, and then resumed her laughing.

"Hey, it might be vulgar," Esmeralda laughed with her, "but it got the point across, no?"

Lux nodded rather adamantly, still smiling as her golden waves bounced with each movement.

And thus, that was what the careers did on days 5 and 6, before the day of private sessions was finally upon them. None of them needed the drill as to what they were going to do here. If they tried to deliberately score low, everyone else would know they threw it, so they wanted to stroke their egos instead by scoring as high as possible.

"Are you guys ready for this?" Esmeralda grinned as she and Zack joined Malcolm and Lux.

"Why wouldn't we be?" Malcolm seemed remarkably confident despite his fears of Lux turning on him. "We're only the best tributes on the roster."  
"well," said a voice belonging to that District 12 boy, Colton, "you do have the pretty girl on your team, and I'll be damned if she doesn't end up murdering at least a third of the tributes this year."

Lux extended her arms as if asking whether that was a challenge or not.

"If you want it to be a challenge, girl; then consider it a challenge." Colton smirked, "it's only as personal as you make it."

"C'mon now, don't let it get you down," Zack patted Lux on the back, "he's just trying to get under your skin. District 12 does that."

Lux shrugged and shook her head. It hadn't bothered her at all, and instead she simply flashed the boy a smile, as well as one for the rest of his little alliance.

"Kind of a shame it's the Hunger Games, innit?" Esmeralda turned towards the District 11 pair, "I think we could have been close friends had our circumstances been different—or at the very least, played cards together on Friday Nights or something."  
"I can't say I disagree with you there," Lincoln noted, "Maybe I can't speak for what I saw on television for the last decade or so, but you lot seem like some of the friendliest career tributes to walk into the arena in decades—even Lux."

Lux gave another innocent shrug, but then made a gesture that was clearly a good luck gesture.

"Or of course," Anna quipped, "this could all just be a ruse."  
"Doubtful," Zack shut her down immediately. "Either way, we'll see who is strong and who is weak tomorrow morning, will we not? Tonight's just for the betting tables."

Moments later, Malcolm's name was called, and 15 minutes after him, the name " _Lux Calameda_ " was heard over the loudspeaker.

Like every tribute before her, as well as those who came after, Lux glanced up at the balcony where the Gamemakers watched the spectacle. She noticed a shimmer across the opening that made her smirk: a forcefield. Rumours spread around that the forcefield was installed after the 75th Hunger Games, when future victor Katniss Everdeen had shot a pair of arrows through the opening into an apple in a pig's mouth. If she survived these games, she would have to ask her about it.

"Welcome to the 95th Annual Hunger Games, Lux Calameda," Head Gamemaker Zurok spoke with a sweet smile, "you have 15 minutes to present your chosen skills. Begin!"

Lux left the training center with a smug and contented smirk as Zack's name was called, and his "whoa!" of awe and surprise when he saw what she had done in there meant she had done it well. The only one who wouldn't see it was Malcolm, but she'd let him know that evening.

Sometime before the scores were announced, Lux had changed out of her training uniform and into a snug top and short skirt which more resembled the type of attire she enjoyed wearing back home. When Malcolm joined her and the television came on, he found Lux sketching away, hardly paying attention to the scores.

" _Malcolm Fletcher; District 1, with a score of… 11"_

"Oy!" Lucas guffawed, "Lucas mentioned he would drink you under table if you didn't score perfect, yes? No worries though; was only jesting!"

" _Lux Calameda; District 1, with a score of… 12"_  
"in other news," Cashmere quipped, "fire is hot; water is wet."

" _Zack Valencia; District 2, with a score of… 10"_  
Lux hadn't even batted an eye at her score, and was instead focused on her sketch.

" _Esmeralda Chama; District 2, with a score of… 11"_

"I'm not going to lie," Cashmere turned towards Lux, watching her sketch come to life, "I'm curious as to what you did down there."

" _Linus Takamatzu; District 3, with a score of… 12"_  
"I'm more curious as to what that guy did," Malcolm pointed out, "He's going to be a threat."

" _Glitch Montezuma; District 3, with a score of… 10"_

"Oy; good luck getting any secrets out of District 3…" Lucas shook his head.

" _Lars Holiday; District 4, with a score of… 9"_

"And here I thought they were going to throw it." Cashmere mused. "What are they up to…?"  
 _"Nina Holiday; District 4, with a score of… 9"_  
"It almost seems choreographed," Malcolm frowned, "I can never tell with District 4."

" _Makoto Fawkes; District 5, with a score of… 7"_

"Cadence's tributes;" Cashmere mused, "That boy was a character."

" _Tracer Lestrange; District 5, with a score of… 8"_

Lux actually cast a curious glance at the District 5 pair. She remembered Cadence from his victory tour half a year ago, although obviously the two had barely interacted.

" _Noah Faulkner; District 6, with a score of… 8"_

"So what are you drawing?" Malcolm turned to his partner, whose attention seemed elsewhere,

" _Candace James; District 6, with a score of… 7"_  
"You do realize you scored a 12, right?" Cashmere asked. Lux simply nodded.

" _Gaius Lucero; District 7, with a score of… 6"_

Lux signed the corner of her sheet, with the words 'What I did in the Training Center' written elegantly.

" _Sable Ogawa; District 7, with a score of… 11"_

Malcolm glanced at the image Lux had drawn, which very elaborately depicted her coming down to cleave something in two with a giant battleaxe.

" _Logan Montiel; District 8, with a score of… 7"_

"You painted that in the training center?" Malcolm wished he could have seen.

" _Riley Duncan; District 8, with a score of… 5"_

Lux shook her head. She made motions as if she were swinging heavy weapons, and then nodded.

" _Glover Wilkinson; District 9, with a score of… 6"_

"Wait; you carved it into the floor?!" Malcolm gawked, and even caught Cashmere and Lucas' attention.

" _Sapphire Adara; District 9, with a score of… 8"_

Lux simply nodded, a satisfied expression on her face as she watched the final scores.

" _Gerome Laumont; District 10, with a score of… 4"_

"His bad leg'll do him in," Cashmere shook her head. "He'll be easy pickin's"

" _Morgan Daraen; District 10, with a score of… 5"_

"Isn't that District 10 most years though?" Malcolm quipped.

" _Lincoln Domingo; District 11, with a score of… 10"_

"In sharp contrast to District 11," Cashmere nodded, "although given my history with '11, I'm biased."

" _Mariah Santiago; District 11, with a score of… 9"_

Lux cocked her head towards Cashmere with interest.

" _Colton Lasiere; District 12, with a score of… 10"_

"Her name was Cassandra Vine," Cashmere closed her eyes for a moment, "but that's for another time."

" _Anna Shrike; District 12, with a score of… 8"_

"So apart from the usual threats in '11 and '12, it looks like we've got to watch our backs for that alliance between District 7 and District 3." Malcolm declared. Lux nodded.

"Oy, that be seeming like it," Lucas pointed out, "although do not put all the faith into scores. Scores are just little numbers that help gamblers; not win games. Otherwise Lux and Linus just have coin toss and choose victor then! Heh!"

"I might have to sneak down to the training center and see what Lux did exactly," Malcolm added, still intrigued by the machinations of his silent partner.

"Perhaps after the tribute interviews, you can do exactly that." Cashmere offered, "Dorian and Vivienne should be arriving soon."  
Lux looked forward to getting dressed up, but she couldn't help but wonder how her interview would go. She had plenty of thoughts and things she wanted to say, but being unable to say them meant that whether intentional or not, this year would be a twist all on its own.


End file.
